Soviet Middlegame Technique

Many of the classics of Soviet chess literature have struggled to see the light of day, but none more so than Soviet Middlegame Technique by Peter Romanovsky. The original version of this famous guide to the middlegame was published in 1929 when Romanovsky was Soviet Champion. Romanovsky later decided to update and improve his work. As he finished his work in 1942, World War II was underway and Romanovsky was trapped in the notorious siege of Leningrad. The author barely survived and his manuscript was lost.Romanovsky was undeterred and finally recreated his improved book in 1960. His writing was later translated into English and published in two titles – one on Planning and the other on Combinations. In this fresh translation we have included both works to create the ultimate version of a classic of Soviet chess literature.GM Alexander Kotov on Romanovsky: “One of the best books in the world’s chess literature."

Content

003 Foreword by the UK Publisher006 Key to symbols used & Bibliography

007PART ONE: PLANNING007 Introduction008 (A) General System008 (i) Basic concepts010 (ii) Concrete scheme018 (iii) Dynamics025 (iv) Harmony035 (B) Squares035 (i) Weak point037 (ii) The “permanent” knight042 (iii) Weak squares on the sixth (third) rank049 (iv) A few conclusions050 (C) Open Lines058 1. Two Wins by Wilhelm Steinitz - Their Creative and Technical Substance066 2. Stages in a Plan - Square and File as Targets of the Plan - The Preparatory Stage - The Stage of Concrete Action - Exploitation of Gains083 3. Play on the a-File095 4. The Centre - Its Strategic Significance - Knights on e5 and d5 (e4 and d4) - The Pawn Centre - Attacking with the Centre Pawns - Hanging Pawns137 5. More about Active Pawn Play - The Pawn Wedge and How to React to It - The “Nail” Pawn - The Phalanx of e- and f-pawns - The Pawn Storm169 6. Battle of the Major Pieces187 7. Manoeuvring - The Initiative209 8. The Two Bishops

221PART TWO: COMBINATION221 9. What is a Combination?223 10. The Elements of Combination - Motif and Theme228 11. The Aesthetics of Combination: General Concepts232 12. Idea and Technique of an “Incarcerated King” Combination236 13. More about Aesthetics - Pseudo-Sacrifice - Queen Sacrifice248 14. On the Theory of Combination - Typical Ideas267 15. Modern History of Combinations - The Immortal Game - Masterpieces from the End of the 19th Century291 16. Double Attack - Attacks on Pieces by Pawns313 17. Positional Weakness as a Combinative Motif - Combinations Invited by Weaknesses in the Castled Position - Sacrifice of Bishop for Pawn on g3, h3, g6, h6333 18. Combinative Attack with Two Bishops - Harmonious Action of Rooks on the Second and Seventh Ranks - Rook Sacrifice on g7361 19. Harmonious Action of Rook and Bishop - The Theme of Trapping a Piece380 20. The Interference Device in Various Combinative Schemes389 21. How Players Think During the Game413 Index of Names